28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien

The SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien, later expanded into the 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division “Wallonien”, was a Waffen-SS formation composed primarily of French-speaking Belgian (Walloon) volunteers, many of whom were recruited from the fascist Rexist Party led by Léon Degrelle. Initially formed in 1941 as a volunteer unit for the German Army, it was transferred to the Waffen-SS in 1943 and elevated to division status in 1944, though it never reached full divisional strength. The unit fought primarily on the Eastern Front, notably in Ukraine and later in Pomerania, suffering heavy casualties. Its members wore Waffen-SS field-grey uniforms with standard SS runes on the right collar tab and rank insignia on the left, along with a unique sleeve shield featuring a red lion on a yellow field, symbolizing Wallonia. Some soldiers wore the cuff title “Wallonien” in Gothic script. The unit’s most iconic figure, Léon Degrelle, served both as a political leader and frontline officer, earning the Iron Cross and commanding the unit in its final months. Despite being framed as a crusade against Bolshevism, the division’s legacy remains deeply tied to collaboration and the broader ideology of the SS.